


Space is overrated

by Missellaineous



Series: Space is overrated [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aliens, M/M, Minor Violence, More tags in the future, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Post-Apocalypse, Slow Burn, nothing major
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-07-18 23:18:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7335028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missellaineous/pseuds/Missellaineous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The people of Ajaia have fled their dying planet and are looking for a new home. They arrive at Earth with high hopes, only to it already occupied. In their desperation, they start a war against humanity.<br/>The humans are on the defensive, and people are going into hiding to save themselves. The militaries of every nation are fighting desperately against the invasion from the skies, but they're losing. The aliens are too strong, and billions of people are dying. Suga is forced to take his family into to mountains to seek refuge in a camp hidden there.<br/>After the Ajaians have won, and the human threat has been eradicated, they begin preparations to colonize the land. The soldiers who fought have begun tearing down the human cities and building their own. Oikawa is a scientist, accompanied by his friend, Iwaizumi. He's sent to the surface to do research. Oikawa's become fascinated with Japan's culture, and they start exploring the island nation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Initial Contact

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing oisuga, so I hope it turns out good even if it's unbeta'd.

Suga was staring through the window of a store, an intense look on his face.

“Um, Suga?” he heard Asahi speak from behind him, confused by his behavior.

He looked back with an apologetic look. “Sorry, Asahi. I just saw something interesting inside.”

“Well, why don’t you get it? I’m sure Daichi won’t mind.”

Suga shook his head. “We should focus on the mission. Come on, let’s go.”

Asahi nodded and they continued walking, catching up to the group in front of them. They were currently on a raid to replenish supplies. Daichi was leading. Tanaka and Noya were sent with them mostly so that they’d be out of Ennoshita’s hair for a while. The two had pissed him off pretty bad with the last prank, and hopefully, some time apart would ease the tension.

Suga turned his thoughts back to their task. He looked around at their surroundings, surveying the area. The five of them were currently walking down an old road on the edge of town, heading for the closed shops that were probably at the center.

Once they hit an open space of pavement, Daichi turned and brought them to a halt. “Alright, boys. Remember, we are here to replenish our supplies of clothes and medicine, nothing else. No more cats,” he shot a hard look at Tanaka, “fireworks,” Tanaka and Noya frowned, “or anything else stupid. By my definition.” their frowns turned into pouts. “We know the area, and we know where to go. As long as no one wanders off, we should be fine. Any questions?”

Noya raised his hand.

Daichi ran a hand over his face. “What is it, Noya?”

“We should wear disguises. In case we see any mutts.”

“Yeah!” Tanaka agreed.

“No. It doesn’t matter if they see our faces or not. Any more questions? No? Then let’s go!” He turned back around and everyone followed him down the road. Tanaka and Noya only managed to stay quiet for a few minutes before they started competing to see who could kick a rock the farthest. Asahi was silent as he walked next to Suga, peering around at their surroundings.

They made their way through the empty city quickly and arrived at their destination without any problems. They were well acquainted with the pharmacy, and were in and out in just a few minutes. They decided to stop at a formerly popular store in the mall next.

The bell over the door jingled as they entered the clothing store. They pulled out folded duffel bags out of their backpacks and started stuffing them to near bursting, making sure to get a variety of sizes.

Suga was browsing the women’s section, near the changing rooms, when he heard rustling behind him. He turned, expecting to see one of his comrades, and instead looked right into the eyes of a mutt. He was a little over six feet tall, male, with fluffy brown hair. He was wearing a light blue sundress. Suga would have even believed he were human, albeit strange-looking, if it weren’t for the wings spread out behind him, large enough to brush against the hanging clothes on either side of the aisle he stood in. They were golden brown, with white streaks decorating the feathers.

The two stood there, locked in position by shock.

“Well, shit,” Suga spoke without thinking.

The birdman grinned. “Hello!”

Then Suga pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. The birdman dodged out of the way, and Suga took the chance to run back to the front, yelling for the others.

“Wait!” the mutt behind him shouted, and he stumbled from the surprise. He had never heard any of them speak Japanese before. Most of them spoke English, or their own native language, when they even bothered to talk at all. Suga realized that the birdman had said hello earlier, too. Weird.

Suga pushed the distraction out of his mind, focusing on reaching his teammates. He had to warn them. What if there were more?

Just then, he heard a loud hiss, followed by gunshots. A figure passed by him, too fast for him to see more than a shadow. He pushed himself to move faster. Ahead of him, he could see the others back to back in a circle, a gun pointed in every direction. The doors were just a few yards behind them.

“Suga-san!” Noya called out to him.

Suga almost collided with him once he reached them, and quickly turned around to fit himself into the circle. His chest heaved as he caught his breath.

“There was one by the changing rooms. I shot at him, but missed,” he informed them.

“We saw one by the pants. He ran off in the direction you came from once he saw us.” Asahi said behind him.

Daichi spoke low and calm. “So we know there are at least two. Keep your eyes peeled in case we see anymore. We’ve got them outnumbered; I think we can take them down without any problems. If we spread out a few feet apart and chase them to the back of the store, we can corner them and take them out cleanly. Everybody with me?” he asked them.

They all confirmed their approval of the plan executed it smoothly. As they moved slowly through the store, all Suga could hear were the click of guns and the rustle of pants rubbing together. He could see Daichi and Noya out of the corners of his eyes. He spotted a flick of movement ahead and tightened his grip on his weapon.

There was a clang of metal, and then one of the poles was lifted into the air, a white shirt tied to it. “We surrender! Don’t shoot!” a voice called out.

They stopped and looked at Daichi. He looked back and shrugged.

 “Hello?” the voice switched back to whispering for a minute, then spoke loudly again. “You guys can talk, right?”

“Piss off!” Tanaka shouted back. He was answered with a laugh.

“Come out with your hands up,” Daichi told them.

The two mutts came out into the open and approached them, one of them holding their hands in the air. One of them was the birdman Suga had come across. The other had scales patterned along his arms and neck. Suga named him lizardman in his mind. He held his right shoulder with his left hand, and blood was visible through his fingers.

Daichi cocked his gun. “On your knees. Now,” he commanded them. They complied slowly. Suga looked around to see if there were any more waiting to ambush them. The store appeared to be otherwise empty, but he couldn’t relax.

Their group surrounded the two kneeling on the floor, every gun pointed at their heads.

“What should we do, Daichi-san?” Noya asked, not looking away from his target.

The birdman spoke. “You could let us go. That’s sounds doable to me. I’m much too pretty to die at such a young age.” He smirked at Suga.

Suga stared back warily. It was probably a bad idea, but he had to say what he was thinking. “Daichi. They can speak Japanese. And they didn’t try to kill us. Maybe,” he bit his lip before continuing. “Maybe we could use them somehow.”

Daichi glanced at him. “Are you sure? Suga, you know what’ll happen if we bring them back to camp.”

“Yeah. But I think we could gain a lot from them, even if it’s just information.”

Daichi hummed noncommittally.

“They could know important things, like plans or weaknesses. Almost any information about them could be helpful. They’ve got the advantage, and we need to use everything we can get,” Asahi added.

The dark-haired boy was silent while he thought for a moment, before his stance relaxed slightly. “Fine. Noya, tie them both up. Asahi, bind his injury. Tanaka, secure the perimeter. I don’t want any more surprises.”

“Yes, sir!” Tanaka and Noya exclaimed, and saluted before jumping into action.

They all finished their tasks quickly, with practiced hands.

“Let’s pack it up. Asahi, Noya, you two keep an eye on the mutts. The rest of us will finish stocking up, and then we’ll move out.”

“Mutts!?” the birdman sounded offended. Everyone ignored him.

“It’s gonna be a long walk home,” Daichi said, resigned.

They packed everything up and started their journey out of the city. Daichi and Tanaka carried the duffel bags, while Noya and Asahi guarded the prisoners. Suga followed behind them, watching out for any other enemies they might come across.

They started to pass the store he had stopped to stare at earlier, and he paused to look again. Should he?

He quickly debated the pros and cons with himself. He glanced at the others and saw them moving forward. “Wait!” he called out.

They halted their march and looked back at him, confused.

“I’ll be right back,” he told them. He quickly slipped through the doors before they could question him.

Without hesitation, he took off his backpack and stuffed the item that had caught his gaze inside. He went back out, and was met with puzzled looks from his friends. Asahi was smiling.

“Alright, I’m ready.”

“Right,” Daichi said slowly. “If there isn’t anything else, we’ll go. No, Noya, we aren’t stopping at the convenience store. Don’t think I don’t remember what happened last time.”

Suga grinned to himself as they continued onward, and hitched his bag up onto his shoulders.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Oikawa had never seen a human before. So he had been surprised to find one while he and Iwaizumi had been investigating a clothing vendor, standing just a few feet away.

They had come across the shop while touring the human city. As one of the militaries researchers, Oikawa had decided that he needed to know everything he could about the original occupants of earth, including their fascinating culture. He’d taken Iwaizumi with him because he knew that the guard would be upset if Oikawa had gone off on his own. So they went, exploring one of the towns in the countryside and as far away from the base as Oikawa could justify to his superiors.

The shop they were in had a vast array of garments, in various cuts and colors. Oikawa wanted to try them all. For science. Although his choices were limited by his wings, there was a large section of the store that seemed to be made to get around this handicap. Through trial and error, he had managed to figure out the sizing system, and was happily trying on whatever appealed to him. His favorite was a soft blue number with a skirt that swished around his legs. He was wearing it as he browsed through others when he spotted the human.

The human was a male with silver hair and light brown eyes. He had a mole under his left eye that drew Oikawa’s attention. He couldn’t stop himself from staring.

 “Well, shit,” the human spoke, breaking Oikawa out of his trance. It wasn’t a very nice thing to say when meeting someone new, but Oikawa could forgive him under the circumstances.

He grinned, pushing away the shock and ignoring. “Hello,” he greeted.

Then everything descended into chaos.

The human fired his weapon at him, and he ducked out of the way. Then the human ran away, yelling something that Oikawa couldn’t quite catch. He called out, “Wait!”

More shots echoed from the front of the building. Oikawa paused, his heart in his throat as he thought of Iwaizumi. He hadn’t seen him for a few minutes. He started in the direction of the sounds, before seeing Iwaizumi running toward him. He breathed out a sigh of relief before he noticed that his friend was holding his right shoulder while his arm hung down.

Oikawa checked to see if any of the humans were close by, but the silver-haired one from before must have been the only one who was close, and he had run towards the shooting. Once Iwaizumi had reached him, he moved his hand out of the way so he could see the injury, ignoring Iwaizumi’s hiss of pain. “Careful,” he warned. Oikawa didn’t reply; he was too busy looking at the source of blood.

The bullet had torn through the muscle in his shoulder. The only lucky part was that it had gone all the way through, so they didn’t have to fish out the bullet. It was bleeding heavily, though, and needed immediate attention. Oikawa’s mind raced as he considered their options. They didn’t have any medical supplies. They were surrounded by enemies in foreign territory, and they didn’t have any backup. He could hear the humans approaching footsteps.

There was only one option.

He took Iwaizumi’s hand and put it back on his shoulder. “Keep pressure on it, and stay down,” he ordered. Oikawa looked around before spotting what he was looking for.

“What are you doing?” Iwaizumi asked. He turned to watch Oikawa’s movements and winced from the pain.

Oikawa grabbed one of the garments surrounding them. “The only thing we can.” He knocked over a rack and twisted the ends off so he was left with a metal pole. He tied the fabric to it with quick fingers. “In human culture, waving a white flag means surrender. Hopefully, they won’t kill us.”

“Wait, Oikawa! We can handle them. If we can just contact the others-“

“There’s no time. Our things are too far away, and you’re injured. We can’t run, and we can’t fight and win. Surrendering is our only option,” Oikawa insisted.

“We’ll be taken as prisoners!” Iwaizumi protested.

“Better than dead,” Oikawa replied, before holding up his makeshift flag up into the air. “We surrender! Don’t shoot!” he yelled as loud as he could.

There was a long moment of silence. He was a little unsettled by the lack of response.

“Hello?” He called out again. When there was no answer, he turned back to Iwaizumi. “Maybe they don’t speak Japanese,” he whispered.

“You’re insane.” Iwaizumi glared at him in a way that reminded him of his mother.

He decided to try again. “You guys can talk right?” The one from earlier had spoken.

He received a response this time. “Piss off!” One of them yelled back.

Iwaizumi laughed, and Oikawa pouted at him.

“Come out with your hands up,” a different one commanded them.

Oikawa supported Iwaizumi as he stood, and they stepped into the open. They obeyed the dark-haired human as he told them to get onto their knees. They were surrounded by guns. Oikawa swallowed down his nerves and kept his head held high.

The short one spoke. “What should we do with them, Daichi-san?”

“You could let us go. That sounds doable to me. I’m much to pretty to die at such a young age,” Oikawa interrupted. He smiled at the silver-haired human he saw earlier.

As the humans continued their discussion, Oikawa observed. He saw how they all spoke with respect to one called Daichi, who must have been their leader. He noticed that Suga, the silver-haired one, and Asahi, the tallest one, had some sway in Daichi’s decisions. The short one and the bald one merely listened, shifting their stances as if holding in a lot of energy. As soon as Daichi had made up his mind and given all of them orders, they jumped into action eagerly. All of the humans were practiced in their actions, as if they had performed these tasks before.

He watched carefully as the tall one with a small patch of hair on his face bandaged Iwaizumi. Something in his chest relaxed once his injury was bound. But the sensation was brief, as his hands were tied together behind his back soon after by the human with a shaved head.

They had just finished when Daichi gave them more orders. One word stood out to him from the rest. “Mutts?!” Were they referring to him? As if he could be considered such a thing. He was an Ajaian. His feathers ruffled with his irritation. So far he was _not_ impressed with human manners.

They ignored him and he was prompted to stand. He did so, and helped Iwaizumi steady himself when he stood. He was careful to avoid touching his shoulder.

They left the store behind and started walking. The silver-haired one, the one Daichi had called Suga, stopped them briefly so he could retrieve something out of one of the buildings lining the street. Oikawa watched him smile to himself as they continued on. Soon, they had left the city.

 


	2. Camping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa and Iwaizumi learn some more about their captors. They camp out in a clearing in the woods on their way back to headquarters.

They marched at a quick pace past the fields covering the countryside. As they walked, Oikawa watched the clouds slowly move across the sky. When he was forced to look down in order to avoid tripping and falling, he noticed that there were large spaces of land that were covered by nothing but tall grass, like the trees and rocks had been cleared away. He filed away the information in his mind. Finally, after walking so long that Oikawa’s feet were aching, Daichi brought the group to a halt. “We’ll camp in the clearing. Asahi, set up a fire. Suga, Tanaka, put up the tents while Noya finds dinner. I’ll take guard.”

They all split up. Daichi directed Oikawa and Iwaizumi to sit on a fallen log while the humans completed their work. He tied them to the dead wood with more rope wrapped around their waists.

“I don’t want any trouble,” he told them. “Just sit here quietly, do what I tell you to, and we won’t have any problems. Deal?”

“Of course,” Oikawa gave him one of his most charming grins. “No trouble at all.”

Daichi didn’t respond. Instead, he finished the knot he was tying before making himself comfortable against a nearby tree.

Oikawa watched them as they talked among themselves while they completed their tasks. From the way that they spoke to each other, these humans had been together for a long time. They were familiar with the others, and talked openly; or, at least as open as they would be with two of the enemy among them.

Soon the sun had set and the humans were doing putting something in a metal bucket over the fire with the animals Shorty had brought when he had come back. Whatever they were doing it smelled amazing. The two of them were forced to watch from their log with their designated guard. Oikawa sulked as he watched them. He should be over there, observing their rituals.

Iwaizumi nudged his arm. “What’s with that face?”

“What face?” he asked.

“The face where you scrunch your eyebrows together and do that pouty thing with your lips because you want something you don’t already have. Like this.” Iwaizumi imitated the expression. It was quite unsettling to see.

“Stop that, I don’t pout,” Oikawa sniffed.

“Just tell me what you’re thinking,” Iwaizumi ignored his indignation.

Oikawa decided to let it go. “I’m thinking that we should be over there, closer to the humans. I mean, look at them! Don’t you wonder what they’re doing? What they’re saying? If I was just a little closer I could hear them clearly.” He crossed his arms.

Iwaizumi gave him a stern look. “We’ve been taken as prisoners by the natives of a planet we have declared war on, and all you can think about is studying the humans.”

Oikawa tossed his bangs out of his eyes and scoffed. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I intend to take full advantage of.”

He sighed. “I shouldn’t even be surprised at this point.”

“Just don’t get yourself killed in your ‘righteous pursuit of knowledge’, alright?”

Oikawa softened at Iwaizumi’s concerned tone. “Yay! Iwa-chan cares so much for me!” He hooked his arms around his friend’s neck to hug him, careful to avoid the wound in his shoulder.

“Get off, Trashykawa,” Iwaizumi grumbled, but he didn’t push Oikawa off.

When Oikawa looked back at the group, his eyes locked with a pair of brown ones. He stiffened, surprised. He stared back, unwilling to be the first to look away. The owner of the brown eyes turned away after a few minutes. Oikawa relaxed his shoulders, but still felt tense. He’d have to make sure not to let his guard down around any of the humans.

Just then, Suga came towards them carrying three bowls. The moonlight created shadows from the trees that stretched over the clearing, painting everything in different shades of blue.

“Suga,” Daichi said.

“Even prisoners have to eat sometime,” Suga told him. “And so do captains. Here.” He held out one of the bowls to Daichi.

“It doesn’t have any extra flavor, does it?”

“Nope,” he popped his lips on the p. “I’m low on supply, so no sharing. Sorry to disappoint.”

“The last time I tried that stuff you call mild sauce I almost died.” Daichi took the bowl out of Suga’s hand and started eating.

Suga grinned. “It’s an acquired taste. Don’t blame me if you can’t handle it.”

Daichi rolled his eyes. “Well, thanks for bringing me dinner.”

“You’re welcome. And I can take over guard duty in a bit. With all the shit that’s gonna go down tomorrow you’re gonna need your sleep.”

Daichi scowled and ran a hand over his face. “Don’t remind me. And everyone can take two hour shifts through the night, so everyone can get their eight hours. Tired soldiers are less aware, and make mistakes.”

Suga nodded. “I’ll nail down the order with everybody else.” He held out another one of the bowls to Oikawa. Oikawa looked up at him. “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned,” Suga assured him.

Slowly, Oikawa reached forward and took the bowl out of the human’s hands. It was a little awkward to hold with his hands tied together. Iwaizumi took the one offered to him and sniffed the contents.

Suga clapped Daichi on the shoulder before turning back toward the others. “I’m gonna go grab some more before Noya and Asahi eat it all. Be back in an hour.”

Daichi nodded in agreement and Suga left.

Oikawa started to tip the bowl in his hands towards his face, but Iwaizumi stopped him. “Wait,” he told him. “Let me check it first.”

Oikawa waited as Iwaizumi sampled the food in his bowl. After the first sip, he waited a few moments. When nothing happened, he tried the food from Oikawa’s bowl. Oikawa waited until Iwaizumi deemed it safe to start eating. The taste was strange, yet somehow pleasant. His growling stomach had him devouring the food as fast as could without spilling it. Too soon, he had completely emptied the bowl.

He turned to Iwaizumi and noticed how slowly the other was moving. “What’s wrong, Iwa-chan?” he asked.

“S’ cold,” his friend said gruffly. He brought his bowl to his mouth and swallowed another mouthful. “And it’s dark.”

Oikawa frowned when he realized that it had gotten colder since the sun had disappeared over the horizon, and he had subconsciously hugged his wings to his sides to ward off the chill. He set his empty bowl beside him on the log and scooted closer to his friend. He wrapped one of his wings around his and pressed against his side. “We’ll be warmer this way.”

Iwaizumi pressed back against him, grateful for the heat his body gave off. Oikawa closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of creatures moving about in the trees surrounding them. He wished that the human clothes he was wearing covered his legs better.

When Suga came back, he was carrying a large bundle of fabric in his arms. He held it out to Iwaizumi. “Here. It’s just gonna get colder later, and I don’t want to have to carry you when you turn into a popsicle.”

Iwaizumi took the folded fabric and placed it on his lap. Oikawa reached out a hand and wondered at how soft it felt. When they unfolded it, it became large enough to cover them both. It was extremely comfortable.

Oikawa looked up at Suga. “Thank you,” he said.

“You’re welcome.” The human turned to Daichi. “Make sure to take the bowls with you,” Suga reminded him as he settled against a tree. “The dishes need to be washed before you go to sleep.”

“Yes, Mom,” Daichi said.

“Don’t you sass me young man,” Suga replied.

“I would never. It’s not good for the complexion.”

Suga grabbed a handful of grass and threw it unsuccessfully at Daichi. “Go before you incur my full wrath.”

“Well I definitely don’t want that.” Daichi grinned as he stacked the bowls in one hand. “Night, Suga.”

“Good night. Make sure Noya remembers that he has the next shift.”

Oikawa shifted where he sat as he watched Daichi walk towards the small structures the tall one had built earlier. He was uncomfortable with the way the rope dug into his side where he was pressed against Iwaizumi’s arm. He wiggled and leaned on his friend, much to Iwaizumi’s annoyance.

“Are you done?” he asked when Oikawa was finally still.

“I think so. Let me just…” he wiggled his butt and his shoulders, jostling Iwaizumi. “Yep, I’m done.”

Iwaizumi gave him an unimpressed look. “Good. I’m gonna try to get some sleep. You should, too.”

“Sure,” Oikawa agreed.

Iwaizumi leaned his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes. Oikawa leaned his head on top and kept his eyes open, watching the moon and stars shining in the night sky. Occasionally, a dark shape would block out the light as it flew overhead. He wondered what they were; what kind of lives they lived. If only he had time to explore and observe, he could learn. If only it weren’t for the rope wrapped around his waist and the guard watching his every move, he could know. Oikawa felt hyper aware of every feather of his wings, and how the air seemed to tremble against them. It would be so easy to just take off and leave it all behind.

But then he remembered the weight on his shoulder, and he knew he could never leave his best friend alone as a prisoner of these humans. It wasn’t just the rope tying him down. He had responsibilities hanging around his shoulders. He had accepted their weight a long time ago.

So he sighed and contented himself with listening to what was in his hearing range.

The humans had turned off their handheld lights they had been using to guide their steps, and they had disappeared into the erected structures. Presumably to sleep until the sun rose again.

Oikawa didn’t sleep at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me four tries to write this chapter, and it's mostly dialogue. Sorry for the long wait, but you should probably get used to it since I'm going back to college this week. I'm not abandoning this, though. I love it too much.  
> Anyway, thank you for reading, please stay tuned for more when I can manage it.


	3. Meet Hikaru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet a new character (aka my baby I love him so much)

Suga hadn’t slept well that night, too worked up from the day before. He dreaded bringing the mutts back to camp.

The sun was high overhead when they finally reached the camp. Suga was taking a turn guarding the mutts with Tanaka. Daichi was leading them at the front.  He had to report to the main hall once they arrived, and Suga knew he was worried about telling the others about what had happened. He wasn’t eager to be a part of that conversation either.

He started looking up into the trees as they reached camp, turning his head back and forth.

Suga noticed the birdman watching him closely with a strange expression. “What are you doing?”

He raised his eyebrows, surprised by the question. The birdman hadn’t said a single word since the night before. “Looking.”

“For what?” he asked.

 “Are you always this nosy?” Suga replied instead of answering.

“Yes,” the lizardman answered before the other could.

“Mean, Iwa-chan!”

“Iwa-chan?” Suga raised an eyebrow at them. Tanaka, who had been looking in the direction of camp, turned his head to watch the exchange.

The lizardman rolled his eyes. “He’s been calling me that since we got to Japan.”

“I think it’s cute,” the birdman retorted with a pout.

Tanaka laughed and Suga smiled.

And then chaos descended.

Something heavy hit Suga’s back, and the unexpected weight drove him to the ground. The others shouted in surprise as he groaned. Louder than anything else was the yelling of the creature latched onto his back.

“I caught you!”

Suga tugged on the arms wrapped around him and wrestled with his attacker until he had pinned a boy with black hair, grey eyes, and scales lining his jaw and eyes.

“I caught you!” the boy exclaimed again.

Suga sighed. “Damn. I thought I could win this time.”

“Don’t forget your promise!”

“I won’t,” he said back. He let the boy go and stood back up, brushing the dirt off of his clothes. Everyone else had stopped and turned to watch the incident unfold.

“You should be more careful, Hikaru. You might have hurt Suga,” Daichi frowned.

“But he’s okay, right?” he turned to Suga with a worried expression.

“I’m fine,” he reassured him. He saw Hikaru peer around him and tensed.

“Suga?” Hikaru took a step back. “Who are those guys? What are they doing here?”

He saw Tanaka reach up to rub the back of his neck out of the corner of his eye.

Suga looked at Daichi. “Do you mind?”

Daichi shook his head. “Go ahead. We’ll be fine without you for a few minutes. But make sure to meet us at the main hall when you can. I’ll need you there to help with the report.”

“Fine,” he sighed. He looked at Hikaru. The confusion and fear on his face felt like a lead weight in Suga’s chest. Hikaru’s hands were clenched into fists.

The others walked on, leaving them behind. Hikaru stood in silence until they were out of sight, watching Suga warily.

Suga bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to organize the words in his head. “Will you come here, Hikaru?”

Hikaru shook his head. “I want to stay over here.”

 “Alright,” he said. They stood in silence for a couple minutes before he forced the words out. “We came across them while we were retrieving supplies in the city. We couldn’t let them go, or they’d tell the soldiers about us. We had no choice.” Hikaru stared at him. He continued explaining. “We’re gonna hold them as prisoners for now. They might be able to help us somehow.”

“How?” the boy asked.

“They could have information we can use.” Suga shifted his weight uneasily.

“What happens if they don’t? Or they run out of information?”

“That’s for Ukai-san to decide.”

“But they know where we are now. What if they escape and they tell the others where we are?” Hikaru was yelling now. “What if they take me away?”

“I won’t let that happen.”

“What if you can’t?” Tears formed at the corners of his eyes and he swiped at them angrily. He kept his face down as his shoulders shook. “What if you can’t stop them?”

Suga strode forward and hugged him, holding him tight against his chest. Hikaru clutched the back of his shirt in both hands. “I don’t want to go back!” he cried into Suga’s shoulder.

“I won’t let that happen,” Suga told him. “Trust me. You’re not going anywhere.”

Hikaru sniffled and tightened his grip. “I wish they weren’t here.”

“I’m sorry,” Suga said.

They stayed like that for a while, holding each other as Hikaru calmed down.

Then Suga felt something that set off alarm bells in his head. “Hikaru. Did you just…wipe your nose on me?”

“Uhmm, no, I didn’t do that.”

“Liar!” Suga cried, and began tickling the boy’s sides.

Hikaru tried to wiggle away as he giggled. “Stop,” he pleaded.

It wasn’t until he was laughing uncontrollably that Suga released him. “There’s the smile I love.”

Hikaru sat down on the ground as he took deep breaths. Suga examined the damage done to his shirt. He’d have to change once they made it back to camp.

“Do you promise?” Hikaru asked him. “That I’m not going anywhere?”

“Yes,” Suga replied. He helped Hikaru up.

They held hands as they walked back to camp, both of them reluctant to let go.

They continued like that for the rest of the walk back. Too soon they had reached camp, and the main hall was just a few yards away from where they came out of the tree line.

“Alright, little man, I gotta go see the boss,” Suga let go of the boy’s small hand. “Why don’t you go see if Kiyoko-san needs any help?”

Hikaru was quiet for a moment. “I don’t want to let go.”

“I’ll meet you in the tent in just a few minutes.” Suga reassured him. “I’ll change my shirt, we’ll get dinner together, and then I can help you with your homework.”

Hikaru frowned at the last part. “Okay, but hurry,” he told Suga before running towards their tent.

Suga straightened his clothes, avoiding the patch of snot on his shoulder, and made his way to the main hall. Daichi and the others were waiting for him in front of the doors.

“How’d it go?” Asahi asked him.

“Not as bad as it could have been,” Suga replied. “It’s probably gonna take him some time though.”

“After what he’s been through, I’d be surprised if it didn’t.”

“Don’t worry, that kid loves you too much to stay mad forever. It’ll work out fine.” Daichi clapped him on the back a little too hard, and Suga drove his elbow back on reflex. It landed squarely in Daichi’s gut, and he bent over, grunting in pain. Asahi took a step back.

Suga patted Daichi on the back comfortingly. “Don’t be such a baby. I didn’t hit you _that_ hard,” he said in a soothing voice.

“Hard is the only way you know how to hit,” Daichi moaned. He straightened up, rubbing his stomach gingerly.

“We should go inside and make a report, the others are waiting,” Asahi said.

Suga grimaced. Ukai was not going to be happy they brought a couple of mutts back with them from a supply run.

Daichi opened the door and they filed inside.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took so loooong to write. Like, I've been working on this chapter since I started writing this au. which was half a year ago. I'm not gonna tell you how many changes it went through. it was a lot though. But I finally finished!!! Yay!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let ms know if you spot any mistakes. Comments and kudos are appreciated.


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